New Beginning
by Texanlady
Summary: Riddick reflects on why he went back for Jack, and what the future holds for them now. Jack reflects on how Riddick has changed her view of humanity and how she's determined to stay by his side.
1. Chapter 1

Not sure if I'm going to continue this or not. If I did continue it would be a story where Riddick kept Jack with him and raised her as a little mini-Riddick. Don't have any idea beyond that. It just kind of came into my mind and wouldn't go away, so I got rid of it by writing it out. Hope you like.

Chapter 1

I don't know why I didn't leave them to die. I really I don't. It went against everything I'd learned and believed. Went against every rule I had for survival. When I'd made it to the skiff I'd had every intention of flying off into the night, almost completely at ease with the idea of leaving them behind to die. I'd done more for them by hiding them in the cave and all the shit that had lead up to that than I'd ever done for anyone else. And considering how no one had ever stuck their neck out that far for me before, I figured it had been more than they deserved.

While I'd been prepping the ship for takeoff brief flashes of the kid had kept popping into my mind, but I ruthlessly pushed them aside. So what if the gender confused kid had treated me like a human being when no one else had done so for years? So what if she had foolishly shaved her head to imitate me, something no one had ever done? None of it mattered, only the code; survive by any means necessary. The code that had kept me alive for so long and out of government hands, and more importantly sane when the shit of my life threatened to consume me. I'd worked too long and hard to become the hardened warrior I was to let some slip of a girl destroy all my hard work with her big green doe eyes shining with trust for me that I'd never deserve. Going back for them would be a mistake, I'd known that. Going back for _**her**_ would be a mistake. I knew it as sure as I knew that mercs would always be on my ass. I'd had myself convinced that survival was all that was important in life; to anyone. Even that bitch Carolyn had been ready to ditch all the carefully sculpted civilized morals she'd probably had her whole life in order to save her own ass when the ship had been going down. There was no reason for me to play the martyr, and no reason for me to feel bad about it.

I'd been determined to get the hell off that rock and get as much of a head start as possible on any government detail or mercs that would be on my tail once word got out the transport carrying me had crashed. No one was going to believe I'd died that way. I was Richard B. Fucking Riddick, I don't die. Period. It wouldn't take long for someone to pick up the emergency beacon the Hunter-Grazner had sent out as it went down. I didn't plan on being close to whoever came to perform the rescue. So there I'd been ready to blow planet when that dumb blonde had come running out of the dark with her pitiful light. I'd shrugged and figured, '_What the fuck, might as well give her a lift. She's got strong survival instincts. Gotta respect that._' So I'd stepped off the ramp and offered her my hand, provided the hollow excuse that no one would blame her. Certainly not me.

Then she'd shocked the hell out of him. She'd actually attacked me. Me! That blonde bitch had actually thrown down on me and tried to fight me to convince me to go back for the others. I'd been stunned. Stunned that the woman who had been so eager to save herself before had found redemption in the dark. I'd lived there for years and it had only made me a better killer. So I'd wondered what made her so different? Why did the dark warp me into a monster, and yet turn her into a hero? It didn't make sense. So I'd pushed her, asked if she would die for them. She said she'd try. That hadn't been good enough and I'd pushed harder. And when she finally answered I saw the truth in her eyes. Yes, yes she'd die for them. _Interesting_.

So I'd gone back. Figured if she could find something better in the dark than death, then I sure as hell could too. If I made it, I was the victor over death and had kicked its ass. If I didn't, then I'd have gone out in life doing better than I had living it. A win/win situation if you looked at it from a distinctly morbid angle. I'd smiled at the kid when I'd pushed the rock aside and ignored the holy man almost entirely. Together we had battled through the dark back to the ship and I had felt a sense of accomplishment watching the girl walk into the light. Something I hadn't felt in a long time. It had been slightly dampened by the loss of Carolyn, but I'd shrugged that off. Shit happens you know. Can't let it weigh you down. The important thing was I'd found something in the dark just like Carolyn. I'd found Jack. Now the question was what to do with her?

It was hard to go from being ready to leave them to die to sitting alone in the small skiff with them for hours on end while we waited to get picked up by traders. Hopefully traders, and hopefully ones who weren't government commissioned, otherwise I was going to have to ghost whoever found us to keep from being reported. Doubted that would sit well with the holy man. I see the kid being cool with it. She seemed to think everything I did was the greatest thing since sliced bread, but the holy man could be a problem. Push come to shove I'd ghost the old man and space his body if he threatened my freedom in anyway. I'd make it quick and painless, but I'd do it nonetheless to ensure my own survival. The code an all. I'd ignored it for Jack, but the holy man didn't rank so high.

But until then I needed to decide what was to be done. When the kid had come up to the cock pit and strapped into the co-pilots seat I'd wondered what she was going to say. It'd been obvious she was going to try to talk to me; she had been itching to get at me since the crash. At the time I'd found it amusing to say the least. No one had wanted to get close to me for nonviolent reasons for a long time, unless they were looking for sex. And it didn't take a genius to see the kid wanted absolutely nothing to do with sex. It was only the continual interference from the other survivors that had kept her away, but now that was no longer a concern. I knew at first she wanted to be near me because I was her best shot and staying alive, just like at first I didn't mind her being around because she amused me. But for the both of us somewhere along the way everything changed. We _changed_. The holy man seemed content to sit in the back and chant himself into unconsciousness, leaving us alone in the front to tolerate his incessant praying. So there I'd sat waiting for some tranny kid to strike up a conversation as I'd tried to decide what to do about her.

She'd surprised me by tossing the ball into my court, leaving the decision to me about how things were going to go from there. I'd looked into her eyes for long moments, seeing that unwavering faith that was starting to eat at my insides. Finally I'd told her that Riddick was dead. And it was true, part of me had died on that planet, and something new had been born. Something equally as dark, but somehow different from the rest of the blackness that was my soul. Something in the form of Jack had wormed its way into my black heart and put down deep roots. I knew I'd never get her out, and I wasn't sure I wanted to try.

As I'd sat there staring at her she had suddenly become the embodiment of everything I'd ever lost in my life. She was the family I'd never had, or would ever get. She was the child I'd never had the chance to be. She was innocent of so many things I'd had to learn early on in order to survive. She was the one good thing I'd ever done in my life, and I made a decision then and there. She was going to survive.

Jack was going to learn to survive by choice, not necessity as I had. Every lesson or rule I'd ever learned about life had been painful. The result of a costly mistake that I was determined to never repeat. I wasn't going to let that happen to Jack. Oh, I knew she wasn't as innocent and helpless as she made herself appear to be. I know that initially she'd stuck to me like glue because she knew I was her best chance of getting off that rock. Kid was like me, a survivor. Her life on the streets had obviously taught her how to calculate her odds. I liked that. Gotta admire a strong survival instinct. The only difference was her path to survival hadn't turned her into a psychotic killer like mine had. She still _cared_ about shit. I wanted to keep it that way. I was going to do whatever I had to to make sure that light in her eyes wasn't extinguished.

I'd ripped her out of the dark with my bare hands, and I knew without a doubt that if I didn't hold on tight, the dark would claim her again. All my hard work would have been for nothing. I wouldn't let it happen. I'd do whatever I had to to make sure this kid made it. I wasn't sure how yet, and I still wasn't completely sure why the unchangeable decision had lodged itself so deep in my chest. All I knew was that Jack's life, her survival, had become as important as my own. I'd settle the why of that after I figured out the how. For now I needed sleep so my wounds could heal and I could replace the energy I'd lost.

So I settled back in my seat and closed my eyes, ready to succumb to a healing sleep. I ignored Jack's shuffling movements beside me, until I felt her touch. My eyes shot open as I felt a small, soft, warm body curl into my lap as Jack settled herself on top of me. Looking down I saw a shy smile on her face as she muttered, "You're warm and I'm not. Hope you don't mind Big Evil," and with that she snuggled into my chest and closed her eyes.

I didn't move, hardly dared to breathe until I knew she was asleep. This was not a situation I was prepared to handle. I had rarely held any woman, let alone some teenage girl with identity issues. Once I was sure she was out I tentatively wrapped my arms around her and shifted our position as I forced the chair to recline until I was more comfortable. Jack was now lying on top of me, her whole body barely taking up half of my own and looking ridiculously small in comparison. It felt….nice. Letting the scent of her fill my senses I drifted into unconsciousness my final thought, '_Things are definitely going to be different from now on._'


	2. Chapter 2

I know I'm all over the place right now. I finished this a few weeks ago but was skeptical about posting it, but decided what the hell. I like the idea of a story line of Riddick helping Jack to become a mini Big Bad, so I'll go with it. I'm in Amsterdam on business right now, but I have the next chapter of "Dark Hero" done and am editing it now so it will be up soon. Next chapter of "Life" will be up in a few days.

I know I've slowed down on my posting here, but my sister's birthday is coming up and she asked for me to write her a fanficiton about Inuyasha. It's her favorite anime, and I like it too though I haven't watched it in over three years. She hated the way the ending happened and wanted me to rewrite it. Her birthday is in a little over a month so I have to have the story done by then. I'm already on chapter 30 so it won't be too long, but I have this thing in Amsterdam I'm working on so my Pitch Black stories have to be put behind my new project and my sister's story. After those things are done I'll be posting regularly on my Pitch Black stories again. Including this one.

Chapter 2

I don't know why he didn't leave us to die. I really don't. It's not like I would have blamed him for it or anything. Been disappointed? Sure, but pissed? Nope. I'm not sure I would have come back if I had been the one to make it to the skiff, so how could I have been angry with him if he didn't come back? I know I said I never doubted him for a second, and it was true. I never doubted that he'd do whatever he thought he had to in order to survive. I will say I was surprised that he felt it was worth the risk to come back though, I really was.

I was intrigued by him the moment I saw him on the ship after the crash. Johns had him all chained up and sitting in the shadows. I know he knew I was there even though he'd had his eyes closed since Johns took his goggles. As soon as I'd stepped down off the ladder he'd tilted his head my way and smirked as if saying, "I know you're there."

I know he hadn't heard me, living on the streets had taught me a lot about survival. And one of the top rules for a girl on her own to know in order to survive was stealth. They can't hurt you if they don't know you're there. Moving without making sound is something I'd learned to do early on in life. It's how I'd snuck up on Paris and had the boomerang around his neck before he ever knew I was behind him. My stealth had saved my ass more than once, so I know he hadn't heard me coming. I'd wondered how he knew I was there before the noise of Frye's boots on the walkway above me had me ducking back into the shadows. Now _she_ made noise when she walked. I had listened to their conversation, loving the sound of his gravelly voice mocking the pilot who was obviously scared shitless of the big bad killer chained before her.

I'd decided to make an "appearance" and swung around on the ladder asking "Where the hell can I get eyes like that?" Frye got pissed, Riddick? He thought it was funny. We had a little moment, one Frye obviously didn't understand. He'd understood though. He understood my fascination with his eyes as only another person who'd been trapped in the dark could. I knew he could see the desire in me. The desire to be like him. To be someone no one would fuck with. I'd wanted to keep talking to him but Frye made me leave. If she were still alive I'd still be pissed about it, but seeing as how she didn't make it off the planet I figure I can forgive her for that.

I'd known something was wrong with the planet almost from the start. The whole place was dead, with no apparent reason to be so. Didn't take a genius to figure out that something wasn't right. And in my experience when something is wrong and you can't get away, attach yourself to the one most likely to survive. Even a moron could tell that was Riddick. I'd like to say the root of my need for him stemmed completely from my fascination with him, but that would be a lie and I don't lie to myself. I was so determined to be close to Riddick because I knew he was my best chance at making it out alive. It wasn't until later that my desire to be with him came from another emotion.

And when the light went bye bye my presumption had been correct. Riddick had been the _only_ chance of surviving that hell hole. When we'd been battling through the dark I'd been afraid that he'd nark me to the others about my bleeding. He'd already shown he knew I was on my period by tossing that mark out about watching our cuts when he was standing next to me. He'd shot me a look that said, "I know." I was surprised he didn't out me then, but grateful nonetheless.

He'd eventually been forced to tell the others when Johns was pointing the big gauge at him demanding to know why he had led us around in circles, but I give him props for waiting until it was absolutely necessary. I'd expected to be left behind right then and there. If any of them had been smart they'd have been all about improving their odds by leaving me behind, but they hadn't. I'm sure that Carolyn's guilt and Imam's transference of his feelings for his lost children to me had something to do with that, but I wasn't going to point out the error in their thinking. It kept me alive afterall.

When he and Johns had been ahead of us walking together I'd known what they were talking about. Imam and Frye were clueless of course, but I knew. In a sick way Riddick, Johns and I were all alike. We knew what it was like to be consumed by the need to survive, to not let anything hurt us. So I knew they were discussing the idea of leaving me behind as bait to get the monsters off their trail or something like that. It only made sense. I'd prepared myself for it to happen. I hadn't wanted to die of course, but I figured better at the end of Riddick's shiv than being torn apart by monsters alone in the dark. I knew he at least would make it quick and as painless as possible. Which is really all anyone can hope for in their final moments.

Again Riddick had shocked me. He'd thrown down on Johns, forcing the merc into a fight. Frye had screamed at us to run as soon as she'd seen them go at it. I'd wanted to stay, it was obvious Riddick was going to kick the shit out of that doped up idiot, but as she and Imam had the bulk of the light and they were already running there wasn't much choice. I had run right along with them, thinking how stupid it was for us to be abandoning our best shot at life.

When Riddick had dropped out of nowhere before we got very far and admonished us as idiots for running I couldn't help the tears that sprang to my eyes. He'd herded us back together and got us back under way, tossing a "Don't you cry for Johns. Don't you dare," in my direction before taking point again. If only he knew. I wasn't crying for Johns. I was glad that asshole was dead. I was crying out of sheer happiness. He'd saved me. Riddick hadn't sacrificed me to the dark to save his own ass. No one had ever done that before. My own parents had thrown me to the wolves to get out of a debt they couldn't pay, so I had never imagined that the universe's most renowned killer would put my life ahead of his own survival. I was shocked to say the least. Shocked and happier than I had ever been, and I cried tears of sheer joy at the fact I was still alive.

We had pressed on with Riddick pulling the cells all on his own. His strength impressed me, but made me envious. I would give anything to be that strong. If I had been that strong no one could ever have hurt me like I'd been hurt. We'd run into trouble again of course, and for some reason I'd begged Riddick to wait for the others as I called after him. I'd ignored my own survival instincts to stick to his side like glue in favor of trying to get the others to catch up so we could all make it to the skiff. I guess Riddick's break of character had inspired me. Or infected me, however you want to look at it. And where had my small piece of heroism gotten me? Pinned under a huge bone with a man eating monster trying to get to me. I'd done the only smart thing I could. I screamed for Riddick. I hadn't actually expected him to come, but I screamed for him nonetheless.

Then miracle of all miracles the monster was suddenly gone and I watched in pure unadulterated awe as Riddick went head to head, shiv to fangs, with that ugly thing and ripped it apart. As I watched him single handedly tear the thing apart my respect and admiration for the escaped killer had morphed into a whole new set of feelings. Love and adoration. I'd never felt that way for anyone before, but I knew without a shadow of a doubt that I loved Riddick. In that moment I loved him for being everything I thought that people were incapable of being. People were selfish, mean, vindictive creatures that were always looking out for number one. All of my life experiences have shown me that. But as Riddick stood over the defeated corpse of that thing with a simple, "Did not know who he was fuckin' with," I had a revelation. People could change. People could _change_!

We'd made it to the ship eventually. Of course Riddick had hid us in that cave and I was pretty sure he was going to leave Imam and me to die, but he had come back. For whatever reason I don't know or care. He'd only reaffirmed my revelation that people could change. People could be better than they were. All they needed was a reason.

So there we'd been on the ship. Imam and his annoying prayers providing a sort of background music as I took a seat next to Riddick and asked him bluntly, "What now?" I'd pointed out that whoever picked us up could be mercs, so I wanted to know what story he wanted to go with. He'd saved my ass so the least I could do was help him get a head start if I could. Then he'd shocked me again, he'd told me to tell them Riddick was dead. And I'd known. He had accepted the fact he'd changed, he'd left the door open for me. We were talking in a language of subtleties. He was offering me a place with him. I wasn't going to look a gift horse in the mouth. I smiled. A real and true smile and for the first time in a long time I willingly got close to a male.

For whatever reason I knew, knew he wouldn't hurt me like every other man in my life had. I curled into the warmth of his body and for the first time in more years than I can remember I felt safe. Most people would think me insane feeling that way lying in the arms of the most wanted killer in the universe, but they could go fuck themselves. I'd found the first person I could trust, and I wasn't going to let him go. Where he led, I'd follow. My last thought before I drifted off in his arms was, '_Things are definitely going to be different from now on._'


End file.
